Compressed-gas circuit interrupter with hydraulic operating means extending upwardly through supporting insulating column means



J m 1965 SHOTARO TOMINAGA 3,139,713

COMPRESSED-GAS CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER WITH HYDRAULIC OPERATING MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SUPPORTING INSULATING .QOLUMN MEANS 4 Filed Aug. 15, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2

Fig. I

WITNESSES INVENTOR Sh t T n qu 5%,5 B3 are 0m 0 ATTORNEY June 15, 1965 SHOTARO TOMINAGA 3,189,718

COMPRESSED-GAS CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER WITH HYDRAULIC OPERATING MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SUPPORTING INSULATING COLUMN MEANS Filed Aug. 15, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 15, 1965- SHOTARO TOMINAGA 3,189,718

COMPRESSED-GAS CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER WITH HYDRAULIC OPERATING mus EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH surronmme v INSULATING COLUMN MEANS Filed Aug. 15, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v ACCUMULATOR J n 1955 SHOTARO TOMINAGA 3,189,718

COMPRESSED-GAS CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER WITH HYDRAULIC OPERATING MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SUPPORTING INSULATING COLUMN MEANS Filed Aug 15, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 7 Claims. oi. 200-148) This invention relates to compressed-gas circuit interrupters in general and, more particularly, to compressedgas circuit interrupters particularly suitable for highvoltage application.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved high-voltage compressed-gas circuit interr'upter of compact dimensions and of rugged structure particularly adapted for outdoor service and arranged for cooperation with similar such structures for even the very high voltages, such as 480 kv., and higher.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of an improved compressed-gas circuit interrupter in which a metallic exhaust tank is disposed at high potential, having terminal-bushing structures associated therewith, and in which, preferably, hydraulic means are utilized to actuate the movable contact structure disposed within said metallic exhaust tank. Preferably, gas-blast means are synchronized with the opening movement of the contact structure to provide a delayed-acting arc-extinguishing blast of gas for eflfecting arc extinction and consequent circuit interruption.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a high-voltage circuit interrupter utilizing a relatively low-pressure metallic exhaust tank disposed at high potential upon a supporting column, and having a pair of ter animal-bushing structures extending through the walls thereof. Preferably, disposed at the interior ends of the terminal bushings are relatively stationary conducting structures, which are bridged, in the closed-circuit position of the interrupter, by movable contact structures, the actuation of which is preferably brought about hydraulically.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved compressed-gas circuit interrupter adaptable for very high-current-carrying ability by the provision of a number of arc-extinguishing units disposed in electrical parallel relation, and having terminalbushing structures associated therewith, which may be eX- ternally interconnected outside of the metallic exhaust housing at high potential.

Another object is to provide an improved compressedgas circuit interrupter of the like-tank type, that is the enclosing housing being at line potential, in which improved supporting and shielding structure is provided for the enclosed pair of serially-related arc-extinguishing units.

In United States Patent application filed September 24, 1959, Serial No. 842,069, now United States Patent 3,073,931, issued Jan. 15, 1963, to Winthrop M. Leeds, entitled, Compressed-Gas Circuit Interrupter, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, there is disclosed and claimed a high-voltage compressed-gas circuit interrupter utilizing a high-voltage metallic exhaust tank supported at the upper end of an insulating column. In the Leeds application there are provided a pair of interiorly-disposed serially-related arc-extinguishing units of the gas-blast type, which receive a blast of gas by the actuation of a single gas-blast means controlling the flow of high-pressure gas from an interiorly- 3,189,718 Patented June 15, 1965 disposed high-pressure tank. It is, accordingly, yet a further object of the present invention to improve and render more positive and rapid the actuation of such a high-voltage circuit interrupter, particularly adapting the same for very high-current use.

Further objects and advantages will readily become apparent upon reading the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a high-voltage compressed-gas circuit interrupter utilizing the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the circuit in terrupter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line III-III of FIG. 2 illustrating the disposition of the several parts in the closed-circuit position of the interrupter;

FIG. 4 is a detail fragmentary view illustrating the closed-circuit position of the contact structure;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but illustrating the disposition of the several parts at a later period in the opening operation;

FIG. 6 illustrates a further opening step of the contact structure with arc establishment;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the flow of gas through the circuit interrupter;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical connections for a single pole-unit;

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of a modified construction illustrating pairs of arc-extinguishing units dis posed in electrical parallel relation for increased currentcarrying ability;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic end elevational view of a circuit interrupter of the type illustrated in FIG. 9 illustrating the electrical connections for one-half of the poleunit; and,

FIG. 11 illustrates diagrammatically a hydraulic operating mechanism suitable for efiecting opening move ment of the movable contact structure.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a compressed-gas high-voltage circuit interrupter. Generally, the circuit interrupter 1 includes an outer metallic exhaust tank 2 containing a suitable dielectric gas, such as sulfur-hexafluoride '(SF gas, or the like, at a relatively low pressure.

It will be noted that the relatively low-pressure metallic exhaust tank 2 is disposed at high potential, being supported up in the air by an insulating column 3. As shown in FIG. 7, the insulating column 3 is preferably of hollow construction and contains gas at the same pressure as is present within the region R (FIG. 3) within the tank 2.

The insulating column 3 may be supported upon an upstanding base support 4, which may enclose a suitable operating mechanism more fully described hereinafter.

With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be observed that extending into the metallic exhaust tanks 2 are terminal-bushing structures 5, 6 having tubular conducting studs 7, 8 passing therethrough. Disposed at the inner ends of the terminal bushings 5, 6 are conducting structures 9, 10. Preferably, the conducting structures 9, 10 include a metallic electrostatic shield 11, relatively stationary conducting contact finger structure 12 and a conducting element 13, which makes electrical connection with an interiorly-disposed ring-shaped support plate 14 in electrical contact with the tubular conductor studs 7, 8.

Supported from the lower end of the metallic exhaust tank 2 is relatively stationary contact structures 15, 16, each such structure comprising a set of contact fingers 17, an arcing horn 18, a gas-blast orifice structure 19 and a blast tube 20. The two blast tubes 20 have the gas blast arcane '2 c3 flow therethrough controlled by a blast-valve means 21, in this particular instance including a blast valve 22, a valve stem 23 and a closing spring 24. The blast tubes 20 may be integrally formed, as a single casting, for example, for rigid support of the relatively stationary contact structures l5, 16. It will be observed that a high-pressure reservoir tank 25 contains high-pressure gas, which is fed through an upstanding insulating feed tube 26. As more fully shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the highpressure feed tube 26 extends downwardly through the upstanding insulating column 3 and pneumatically connects with a high-pressure tank 27 (FIG. 7) at ground potential. Relatively low-pressure gas within the column 3 may be extracted therefrom through an outlet tube 28, a valve 29, a filter 3i), through a compressor 31, through a second filter 32, a second control valve 33, to be forced into the lugh-pressure tank 27 at ground potential. As a result, the high-pressure tank 27 constitutes a grounded reservoir tank which feeds high-pressure gas through the upstanding feed pipe 26 into the high-voltage compressedgas tank 25, which is necessarily of relatively small volume. A heater 27a controlled by a control 27b prevents the gas from becoming liquified at low ambient temperatures;

With reference to FIGS. 4-6 of the drawings, it will be noted that each arc-extinguishing unit 35 comprises a movable arcing contact 36 which makes electrical engagement with the contact fingers 12, 17 in the closedcircuit position, as illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Electrically paralleling each movable arcing contact 36 is a main contact structure, generally designated by the reference numeral 37, and comprising a relatively stationary main contact 38 and a cooperable movable main contact 39. The movable main contact 39 and the movable arcing contact 36 are mechanically connected together and carried by a cross-bar 4b, which, in turn, is reciprocated in a vertical manner, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 5, by a pair of insulating operating rods 41.

As shown in FIG. 11, the insulating operating rods 41'are mechanically connected at their lower ends by a second cross-bar 42, which is connected to a piston rod 43, secured to a hydraulic piston 44. The hydraulic piston 44 reciprocates within a hydraulic operating cylinder 45 by the application of a three-way valve 46. The threeway valve 46 leads to an accumulator 47 containing a suitable hydraulic fluid, such as hydraulic oil '34, under pressure. Preferably the hydraulic valve 46 is electrically actuated by an armature 48 which is responsive to the current passing through a solenoid 49 controlled by an opening switch 50 through a battery 51.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that closing the opening switch 50 will energize the solenoid 49 causing movement of the armature 48 and consequent actuation of the valve structure 46 to permit the forcing of high-pressure hydraulic oil 34 upwardly through the pipe 52 and into the lower end of the hydraulic operating cylinder 45. This will cause upward movement of the hydraulic piston 44 and consequently the entire movable ing accelerating springs 53, diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 11.

Preferably, a suitable mechanical interlock is provided to effect operation of the blast-valve means 21 in delayed synchronism with the opening of the movable contact structure 36, 39. One possible arrangement for accomplishing this purpose is illustrated in FIG. 11, and comprises a rotatable lever 54 pivotally mounted upon a fixed support 55 and momentarily engaged by an extension member 56 constituting a part of the second crossbar 42. It will be obvious that upward movement of the extension 56 will, following a time delay, engage, through the lever 54, the valve stem 23 and thereby effect downward movement of the same, thus opening the blast-valve means 21. Preferably, the time delay is so determined as to permit opening of the contact structure to the desired contact structure 36, 39 against the opposition of openposition prior to the utilization of a gas blast for effecting a maximum conservation thereof. During the closing operation, the lever 54 will rotate in an inoperative direction so that the blast valve will remain closed during such a closing operation.

Hydraulic means may also be utilized to effect closing of the interrupter by connecting a second valve means with the upper side of the hydraulic operating cylinder 45. An alternative arrangement, however, is the provision of a latching means 61 comprising a latch 62 which engages a latch nose 63 carried by one of the insulating operating rods 41. To effect release of the latching means 61, preferably actuation of a three-way valve 60 effects upward movement of a release plunger 65 to effect release of the latching means 61, whereby the accelerating closing spring 53 causes closing of the contact structure 36, 39.

Both three-way valves 46, 69 have pipe connections 7%, 71 leading to a suitable sump 72. As well known by those skilled in the art, a suitable hydraulic compressor, not shown, may extract hydraulic fluid from the sump '72 and recompress the same to replenish the hydraulic fluid contained within the accumulator 47.

To effect proper voltage division between the two areextinguishing units 35, preferably capacitance voltagegrading means Share employed. As well known by those skilled in the art, the provision of the shunting capacitance means 81 provides a substantially equal voltage division imposed upon the two arc-extinguishing units 35.

The hydraulic means 81, diagrammatically represented in FIG. 11 of the drawings, is indicated in block form in FIG. 3. It will be obvious that two hydraulic operating cylinders 45 may be employed for each of the two areextinguishing units 35, and a branch connection 52a in FIG. 11 indicates the branch connect-ion to the second hydraulic operating cylinder 45, not shown in FIG. 11 of the drawings. 7

FIG. 8 diagrammatically illustrates the electrical connections through one pole-unit of the interrupter. For very high-voltage application a number of the pole-units may be connected in series, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

For very high-current carrying ability, a number of the arc-extinguishing units 35 may be disposed in electrical parallel relation. Each pair of arc-extinguishing units 35 would have its own pair of terminal bushings 5, 6 associated there-with. FIG. 9 illustrates how a pair of terminal bushings 5 may be electrically connected at their outer ends by a conducting structure 36 to provide for increased current-oarrying ability of the circuit interrupter. FIG. 10 diagrammatically illustrates the electrical connections for the arrangement of FIG. 9 wherein a plurality of arc-extinguishing units 35 may be disposed in electrical parallel relation. FIG. 10 shows the use of three pairs of ape-extinguishing units 35, whereas FIG. 9, as is obvious, illustrates only two pairs of arc-extinguishing units 35 in series.

A very important advantage of utilizing hydraulic means 81 for effecting cont-act actuation is that where a plurality of the arc-extinguishing units 35 are disposed in parallel there results a simplification in synchronizing the simultaneous opening movement of the several movable contact structures 36, 39.

As well known by those skilled in the art, to prevent voltage breakdown in the open-circuit position of the interrupter, shielding means 37 are preferably provided, such shielding means 87 in the present interrupter including not only the electrostatic shield ll, but also perforated generally horizontally-extendin g shielding means 88, which may be mechanically secured, as at 8?, to the inner wall of the metallic exhaust tank 2. The relatively stationary contact finger 17, together with their associated arc-horns 13 may be supported upon the support 89, which, in turn, is surmounted upon the lower end of the metallic exhaust tank 2.

By way of retrospect, closing the opening switch 50 of FIG. 11 actuates the threeway valve 46 and effects upward movement of the hydraulic piston 44 and consequent upward opening movement of the movable contact structure 36, 39. As illustrated in FIGS. 46, first the main contact structure 37 separates, and subsequently the arcing contacts 36 break engagement with the fingers 17 drawing arcs 90. The pair of serially-related arcs 9% are subjected to a gas blast passing through the blast tubes 20 by actuation of the blast-valve means 21. As mentioned hereinbefore, actuation of the blast-valve means 21 is deliberately delayed by the lost motion present in the rotatable lever 54 of FIG. 11 of the drawings. As a result, the are length 90 may \be of a minimum length prior to being subjected to the gas blast passing through the blast tube 20. As shown, the arcing horns 18 prevent the arcing fingers 17 from assuming the arcing during the opening operation.

In the fully open-circuit position of the interrupter 1, not shown, the movable contact structure is latched by the latching engagement of the latch means 61. As a result, in the fully open-circuit position of the interrupter the movable contact structure is positioned at a greater gap distance than is illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

To eifeot closing of the circuit interrupter the closing switch 91 is closed, thereby energizing the three-way valve 60. The actuation of the three-Way valve 60 eifects upward movement of the release plunger 65 and consequent release of the latching means 61. The closing accelerating spring 53 then quickly eifects closing of the movable contact structure, the positioning of the three-way valve means 46 at this time permitting exhausting of hydraulic fluid 34 from the hydraulic cylinder 45 to the sump 72 by way of the sump line 70.

From the foregoing description it Will be apparent that there is provided an improved compressed-gas high-voltage circuit interrupter particularly suitable for high-voltage application and arranged for parallel adaptation for high-current-carrying ability.

Although there have been illustrated and described specific structures, it is to be clearly understood that the same were merely for the purpose of illustration, and that changes and modifications may readily be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A compressed-gas circuit interrupter including a relatively low-pressure metallic exhaust tank disposed at high potential, hollow insulating supporting column means extending up in the air and supporting said high-potential metallic exhaust tank, a pair of terminal bushings extending into said metallic exhaust tank and carrying conducting structures at their interior ends, a high-pressure storage tank disposed at high-potential within said tank, a pair of serially-related gas-blast arc-extinguishing units disposed Within the metallic exhaust tank, a pair of seriallyrelated movable contact means for conductively bridging said conducting structures, and hydraulic means extending upwardly through said column means for actuating said movable contact means.

2. A compressed-gas circuit interrupter including a 6 relatively low-pressure metallic exhaust tank disposed at high potential, a pair of terminal bushings extending into said metallic exhaust tank and carrying conducting struc tures at their interior ends, a high-pressure storage tank disposed at high-potential within said tank, a pair of serially related gas-blast arc-extinguishing units disposed Within the metallic exhaust tank, each arc-extinguishing unit including a relatively stationary contact structure electrically connected to, and supported by, said low-pressure metallic exhaust tank, a movable contact structure associated with each unit and electrically bridging each relatively stationary contact structure with the respective conducting structure at the interior end of the respective terminal bushing, and hydraulic means extending upwardly through said column means for actuating the two movable contact structures.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the movable contact means is latched in the open-circuit position, and hydraulic means releases the latching means.

4. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the movable contact structures are latched in the open position, and hydraulic means are employed to release said latching means.

5. A compressed-gas circuit interrupter including a relatively low-pressure metallic exhaust tank disposed at high potential, hollow insulating supporting column means extending up in the air and supporting said high-poten tial metallic exhaust tank, a pair of terminal bushings extending into said metallic exhaust tank and carrying relatively stationary contact fingers at their interior ends, a high-pressure storage tank disposed at high-potential within said exhaust tank, a blast-valve means, an additional pair of relatively stationary contact fingers connected to and supported by the metallic exhaust tank, a serially-related pair of movable bridging contacts for conductively bridging the pairs of contact fingers in the closed position, gas-blast orifice means associated with each movable bridging contact, and hydraulic means extending upwardly through said column means for actuating the bridging contacts.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein the movable bridging contacts are latched in the open position, and hydraulic means releases the latching means.

7. The combination according to claim 1, wherein for additional current-carrying capacity an additional pair of gas-blast arc-extinguishing units are connected in electrical parallel with the first said units.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,720 11/40 Prince 200148 2,658,969 11/53 Umphrey 200-82 2,824,937 2/56 Strorn 200-148 3,045,086 7/62 Leeds etal 200 14s 3,052,783 9/62 Buron 200- BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner, ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

1. A COMPRESSED-GAS CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER INCLUDING A RELATIVELY LOW-PRESSURE METALLIC EXHAUST TANK DISPOSED AT HIGH POTENTIAL, HOLLOW INSULATING SUPPORTING COLUMN MEANS EXTENDING UP IN THE AIR AND SUPPORTING SAID HIGH-POTENTIAL METALLIC EXHAUST TANK, A PAIR OF TERMINAL BUSHINGS EXTENDING INTO SAID METALLIC EXHAUST TANK AND CARRYING CONDUCTING STRUCTURES AT THEIR INTERIOR ENDS, A HIGH-PRESSURE STORAGE TANK DISPOSED AT HIGH-POTENTIAL WITHIN SAID TANK, A PAIR OF SERIALLY-RELATED GAS-BLAST ARC-EXTINGUISHING UNITS DISPOSED WITHIN THE METALLIC EXHAUST TANK, A PAIR OF SERIALLYRELATED MOVABLE CONTACT MEANS FOR CONDUCTIVELY BRIDGING SAID CONDUCTING STRUCTURES, AND HYDRAULIC MEANS EXTENDING 